Spot Channels Workflow

I do a lot of packaging work using spot channels. I have to keep everything as editable as possible all the time.
I've been trying to figure out a workflow whereby I can simulate spot channels before creating them.
For example for each spot colour I'd like to have a group of different greyscale layers that I could apply masks/vector masks and adjustment layers to, and the group would display as if it were a sopt colour.
Once I'd finalised the position and tonal values of elements, I would duplicate each group, merge it and copy the contents to the appropriate spot channel. I'd then save a flattened copy for export to Illustrator.
My problem is getting the pretend 'spot colour' groups to display and interact so they look the same as they will when I create the final spot channels. I've tried mucking about with solid colour clipping layers above the greyscale layers, but I just can't get it to work.
Can anyone think of a way of approaching this? I may not have explained it very well!
My dream would be for Photoshop to have the same power in the channels pallete as in the layers pallete, except everything would be greyscale if you know what I mean.

Mike and Donald:
Take a look at this refined layout: http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1M2goWIEOhySzJ484dTTEB1MKprdIb0
Set 1 and set 2 are screen and set 3 and 4 are multiply. There is a solid color layer with white at the bottom of sets 1 and 2 stack, so that when you tansform set 1 or 2 (or sets 1 AND 2), the white knowckout doesn't drop out (essential for the screening to work).
Mike, the advantage I see to something like this if Donald will have an active layer stack that works much the same way as any "normal" colorspace.
Any objects that have color information in multiple channels should probably be linked to move/transform them together. I haven't played with all the possibilities (and made some "major" changes to this file, so...), but in general, I think you have a lot of the features of "layers" in a "spot" file.
Donald, if you drop a curve adjustment layer on top of everything you should be able to more accurately simulate your spot inks (which in YMK won't be problem!!).
What I don't understand Mike is why a solid fill color layer that is set to a spot can't be at least set to act like a spot density-wise.
This is where someone chimes in and says...
Maybe I didn't understand some of your references, Mike, but this workflow gives you editability that layer masks don't (stackable layers etc).
J

Similar Messages

Photoshop CS6 - Spot channels are not saved correctly in the psd files.

Hi,
I'm using Photoshop CS6 and something happent a few days ago....some Windows or Adobe update messed up everything...I don't know...
Here's how things are.
If I add to an image a couple of new spot channels (any Pantone color) and remove the informations from the CMYK channels (or not-the problem it's there anyway), I should have an image with 6 color plates (CMYK and the 2 Pantone). It doesn't happened anymore...
I'm using Corel to print the files and the previous saved files are fine, I have all the Spot colors there. Now, If I edit any file I've worked on before, and save it again, the spot colors dissapear when I'm importing the psd file in my Corel document. And if there is no information on the CMYK channels, I'm getting a blank image...
I hope someone will give me some ideas because I don't know what to do anymore...
Codrut

Right. It's not reading these new saved files correctly. The old ones are fine.
I forgot to mention one thing. I've got this CS6 as an upgrade and I still have the CS5 one running on the same computer. The CS5 version does the same thing...
Today I tryed again to open a PSD (CS6) with another CS5 version from another computer and came with an error message "Could not complete your request because the specified color book cannot be found". And the file didn't opened....
Who messed up my color book and how can I fix it?

Automation plugin: how to select a spot channel when 2 channels have the same name?

I have a CMYK document opened in photoshop. In "CHANNELS" panel, I just added 2 spot colors with the same name "Sport Color 1".
As I click any of the spot channel to select it, the "Listener" plugin will output some c++ code like below:
SPErr PlayeventSelect(/*your parameters go here*/void)
     PIActionDescriptor result = NULL;
     DescriptorTypeID runtimeKeyID;
     DescriptorTypeID runtimeTypeID;
     DescriptorTypeID runtimeObjID;
     DescriptorTypeID runtimeEnumID;
     DescriptorTypeID runtimeClassID;
     DescriptorTypeID runtimePropID;
     DescriptorTypeID runtimeUnitID;
     SPErr error = kSPNoError;
     // Move this to the top of the routine!
     PIActionDescriptor desc0000000000003980 = NULL;
     error = sPSActionDescriptor->Make(&desc0000000000003980);
     if (error) goto returnError;
          // Move this to the top of the routine!
          PIActionReference ref0000000000001A48 = NULL;
          error = sPSActionReference->Make(&ref0000000000001A48);
          if (error) goto returnError;
          error = sPSActionReference->PutName(ref0000000000001A48, classChannel, "Spot Color 1");
          if (error) goto returnError;
     error = sPSActionDescriptor->PutReference(desc0000000000003980, keyNull, ref0000000000001A48);
     if (error) goto returnError;
     error = sPSActionControl->Play(&result, eventSelect, desc0000000000003980, plugInDialogSilent);
     if (error) goto returnError;
returnError:
     if (result != NULL) sPSActionDescriptor->Free(result);
     if (desc0000000000003980 != NULL) sPSActionDescriptor->Free(desc0000000000003980);
     if (ref0000000000001A48 != NULL) sPSActionReference->Free(ref0000000000001A48);
     return error;
You can see "PutName" add the channel name "Spot Color 1" to reference, and I think it will not work correctly if I add such code to my project since PS cannot differentiate the 2 channels only by name. Can anyone tell me if there's any other method for selecting spot channel? Thanks in advance.

Hi
Here is the something from docs tht you may find usefull.
Tryusing index instead of name:
SPAPI OSErr(*
PutIndex )(PIActionReference ref, DescriptorClassIDdesiredClass, uint32 value)
Puts an index into a reference (formIndex) along with the desired class for the reference.
Unfortunately I dont have C++ here to try i just used definition from docs.
Hope that this help.
Regards,
Momir Zecevic
Ars Media
www.arsmedia.tv

Photoshop images with spot channels in Indesign CS6 (layout question)

I've got an Indesign CS6 layout that will have a spot varnish when it goes to press. Right now I've got a layout with psd files that have spot channels in them that will be used for the spot varnish.
My question is, in Indesign when I'm laying this out should I have one layer with all the psd artwork (with no spot channels) and then a layer on top of that with the psd files with the psd layers turned off with the spot channel showing? I want to make this easy to print in the office so by doing it this way I could just turn the spot layer off and print.
Will this work for the printer?
layer 1 psd files with no spot channels
layer 2 psd files with photoshop layers turned off with the spot channel showing

Besides the obvious extra work of tracking 2 images, there would be potential problems if the images needs to be scaled and moved, and you would have to assume people downstream would know what's going on—should the layer be on or off?
I would double check with the current printer—they should know the only way to view a spot is via Sep or Output preview by turning CMYK off—magenta could just as easily be process as spot.
Take a closer look at the Alias method. Here it is with your magenta defined SPOT VARNISH.
With SPOT VARNISH set as No Alias in Ink Manager and with Overprint turned on:
And with an additional spot color defined as white named CLEAR VARNISH. When you need to print in house alias SPOT VARNISH to CLEAR VARNISH and check Simulate Overprint in the Print dialog. You can get to Ink Manger via the Print>Output dialog or Swatches panel:
All you have to do is delete the CLEAR VARNISH before sending the job to the printer or exporting

Spot Channels in CS6 wont import into Indesign and Incompatable with CS5

File imports into Indesign but without spot channels.
File will not open in Photoshop CS5
By changing the spot color to Pantone Solid and resaving, I was able to open in Photoshop CS5, however the channel still did not import into Indesign CS5.
I resaved the file from CS5 and the file imported correctly into Indesign.
Windows 7 Home Premium 32
AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core 2.5GHz
4Gb RAM

You didn't use Pantone Solid, you most likely used Pantone+ Solid (which is a new book).
If you want to open that in Photoshop CS5, you'll need to copy the new book to CS5.
InDesign - they had several bugs relating to spot color channels, which they should be fixing.
But they too may need the new color book data.

Why won't Photoshop save Spot Channels?

Okay so I've always had this issue. I have some of my files as Spot Channels, some as Alpha, I save it, but I go to close it says the file isn't saved correctly. If I save over it, it's fine when I open it back up, if I don't then the Alpha Channels are there but the Spot aren't. I've mostly just dealt with this because it always asks and I couldn't find a quick solution. I've recently upgraded to CC and the other day it didn't ask, which fortunately I was able to fix the file but was still a pain. So now I'm worried about losing part of my files. Why does it do that? How can I fix it? I'd rather not have to convert back to Alpha Channels if I don't have to. I am running Yosemite, but it's done that for years. Thanks.

Oh and Spot Channels IS checked when I hit Save As.

Photoshop CS6 spot channel problems

When I save a file created in Photoshop CS6 that has SPOT color channels it is converting the SPOT color channels to ALPHA channels when my customers are opening them into an older version of Photoshop. This has never been a problem with earlier versions of Photoshop.
Has anyone else had this problem and is there a solution?
I don't know if it is a bug in CS6 or it is a setting or something I am not finding. I have never had to set anything before this version and I have been through anything I could think of to try & discover something, but no luck.
Any help would be really appreciated as this can't keep happening. I have had to be on the phone walking them through the steps to convert the ALPHA channels back to SPOT channels but do not have the time nor should I expect my customer to have to do it.
Running Windows 7
Help please!- Thank you

I'm having the same issues and it seems this just started happening after the most recent update because this wasn't happening for the last couple months I've had CS6. Not only that I actually lost 4 hours of work after it didn't save the spot channels at all and just saved the original image (it's technically supposed to be impossible to do this without making a copy). On top of that now when my clients try to open my PSD files in previous versions it says they do not have the correct color books even though I'm not using spot colors (this did not happen before the update. I've sent several files in the past couple weeks). I'm not sure what they did recently but it really screwed things up.
I'd like to know if anyone has a work around for the color book problem short of asking my clients to buy and install the new color books. I'm having to send the spots as EPS DCS files, so they can open it. It's always a headache when you upgrade and none of your clients do. Why can't they make this stuff work backwards?

Problem with spot channels when importing PSD into AI CS3

tried the Windows forum, and adobe tech support in The Netherlands. Hopefully someone here can help.
b Problem description:
I make spot colour separations of full colour artwork by using the index separation method in Photoshop. This creates several spot color channels in my PSD file.
Normally I just place this PSD file in Illustrator CS2, and when I embed the file Illustrator makes objects of the spot channels. I can change the colors of these objects and delete them etc.
Now with Illustrator CS3 when I import and embed a PSD file it just creates one object called "Spot Color Image". I can no longer adjust or delete separate spot channels.
Maybe there is another way to achieving this but I cannot find it myself. Without this method Illustrator CS3 has become useless for me.

Hi again, I did the same, and I see what you mean. The original image is an image, the channels are separate objects for me, but the original image isn't different channels.
I found this in the Help file:
Spot colors (up to 31 spot channels per file) import as a single N‑Channel raster image, which is placed over the process color image. The spot colors are added to the swatches panel as custom colors with the same name as in Photoshop. Imported spot colors separate correctly.
Will think some more. Not sure what to suggest. Someone must have an answer to help you.

How to get rid of CMYK channels after making spot channels

I have a flat jpg with areas of solid color that I successfully made spot channels from. I don't want the CMYK channels in there any more
because they show up in the print dialog under output. I could just turn them off, but isn't it possible to just have a file with just
the spot channels. When I delete the CMYK channels I get an error message that the file uses an "unsupported color space".

I didn't make one thing clear. I'm trying to place the art in an InDesign file. That's where I'm getting the "unsupported color space" message.
The multichannel .psd won't place...

Spot Channels & Smart Objects in Photoshop CS4

Please Help!
I am trying to replace a smart object in Photoshop CS4 with a .psd, pdf or tiff image that contains a spot channel and it is not being honored in Photoshop
The Channel tab does not honor the "Spot Channel" from the replaced Smart Object image.
Question is: How can I replace a Smart Object and hold the spot channel?
Thank you

I don't believe spot channels transfer from smart objects but there is a workaround.
1. Select Smart Object Layer. Layer: Smart Objects: New Smart Object Via Copy
2. Open the new smart object
3. Load spot channel as a selection.
4. Layer: New Fill Layer: Solid color.
5. Hide or delete all other layers.
6. Save and return to parent document
7. Load the smart object layer as a selection and hide the layer
8. Invert selection, save selection
9. Change the new alpha to the appropriate spot color channel
Let me know if that doesn't work.

Import Photoshop Spot channels as Overprint

Hi,
I've had a few issues with this recently, which has led me here... When you have a Photoshop file with a Spot channel, it works in Photoshop as expected...
The spot channel Overprints the rest of the image (well, the CMYK remains unchanged). This is accross the whole image, Solid areas and transparent areas.
But when it's imported into ID it knocks out all the areas which have transparency.
Could it remain Overprint by default, and it be up to me to mask the knock outs within Photoshop?
OR have a similar option to Object Layer Options which allows control over Photoshops Spot channels?
Asking for a bit much there?!
Cheers
Tom

You didn't use Pantone Solid, you most likely used Pantone+ Solid (which is a new book).
If you want to open that in Photoshop CS5, you'll need to copy the new book to CS5.
InDesign - they had several bugs relating to spot color channels, which they should be fixing.
But they too may need the new color book data.

CS5 Misinterprets Layered PSDs with Spot Channels

I haven't seen this mentioned yet; if you routinely use layered Photoshop files with spot channels, and might be opening older files into CS5 be warned that CS5 appears to misinterpret the tonal values in the spot channels of these documents.
Steps to reproduce:
Create a layered CMYK PSD file with one or more spot channels, and make sure that this file contains halftones on the spot channel(s), not all solid coverage.
Flatten the image and save a copy.
Place both images into Illustrator CS5. Notice that the spot channel(s) in the layered version appears much lighter than the flattened version (which matches the original image), and will output lighter as well.The CMYK channels display and output correctly.
Repeat the test with CS4. Both versions of the image will place and output identically from Illustrator.
Not sure what's going on here, but the only workaround I can find is to flatten the image. This could prove very dangerous when opening CS4 files that were set up this way into CS5, especially if the user is not familiar with how the file is supposed to look (prepress operators, etc.).
[Tested using CS5 and CS4, Mac OS X 10.6.x and Windows Vista.]
Additional info 3:39pm: if you start with a flattened image and add layers, retaining the Background layer, this issue does not occur. It is only if the PSD is "fully layered" with no flattened Background layer.

I don't actually see this but you
mention this happens with older files and I do not have any older files
like this so I really can't say.
No, this is with new documents created in CS5 as well. I referred to older files as they are my biggest concern -- if an older file was set up like this, with layered images containing spot channels, they are going to open and output different from CS5. And the likelihood of this going through to production without being caught is not insignificant. (These could be older files we have on backup that we're processing for a reorder, or from a customer who is using an older version of Illustrator...)
But I do like the idea that when you import a
photoshop with spot channels in CS 5 the spot channels are treated as
separate objects in the layers panel, rather than one collective object
like in CS 4. And that the spot color is properly set to multiply.
That is actually pretty neat, I hadn't noticed that (since we always link our images, rarely do we embed them). I'm not sure that Multiply mode shouled change the image data like this, and I'm also not sure how the file is handled by AI when it's linked... so I grabbed our film exposure bar and brought it into CS5 four ways (embedded / layered, embedded / flat, linked / layered and linked / flat) to test all variations.
The results are the same no matter how the file is placed; the spot content in the layered file is lighter across the board than the file, and the flattened version is correct.
(The forum resricts the size of attached images, and the resized image of the full test is a little difficult to see. I posted a second one below that, which is a close-up of a layered and flattened image showing the differences in the spot color data -- the lighter one is from the layered file, and is significantly altered from the original file.)

Spot Channels in DCS 2.0

OK, my question is this: Why are we still using DCS? And my Illustrator STILL doesn't recognize Spot channel PSD files.. forcing me to use DCS.. grumble
actually, my real question is- I've been having issues lately with random files separated into spot channels in Photoshop, saved as DCS2.0 EPS and then linked to in Illustrator (to add vector artwork and custom crops etc.), then printed to pdf in order to view and print out each plate individually- Whatever channel happens to be in the last position (bottom of the stack, the one on top if you will, in Photoshop) will not show up as having anything there. The vector data in that same color shows, but not the data from the DCS2.0. My current workaround for this is to make a blank spot channel in the last position.
Any reasoning as to why?
System Specs, in case it might matter:
Win7 Pro 32bit (would have been 64, but a crucial printer wouldn't have been compatible) SP1
Motherboard: M4A89GTD-PRO
Video: ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series
RAM: DualChannel DDR3 6GB 668 MHz
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965
Adobe CS5 Design Premium / latest updates

Back in the day (last year) Illy and Photoshop would play nicely together when it came to spot channel psds, regardless of color type (RGB vs CMYK). I could even have the original file the seps were created from in the CMYK and all would be perfect: small files, native resolution data easy and fast rendering in Illy-- then one day it jsut stopped working that way. now all files that were paired like that give me the error 'The file is not readable.'
I had another post addressing that problem. It's never been resolved either because no one had an anaswer and gave up or they forgot about it.
Since I don't have the time and resources to solve that problem I've just been working around it by resaving them all as DCS files, which leads me back to my original problem, as posted above

How to get spot channels colors data and get spot channels length

File is cmyk format..spot channel color is cmyk .such as an spot channel color is c100m50y20k5
how get spot channels color data use javascript? c=? m=? y=? k=?
howv to get spot channel length n(don't cmyk channel) use javascript? such as file cmyk + 7 spot channel n=7
pls help me

You may want to post over at:
Photoshop Scripting
And you may want to elaborate on what this is supposed to mean:
File is cmyk format..spot channel color is cmyk .such as an spot channel color is c100m50y20k5
Maybe posting screenshots with the relevant Panels visible might help illustrate the issue.

Converting layers to spot channels CS5

Hello!
I've just received a set of layered PhotoShop files where the layers contain the color separations. For us to print them, I need to convert each layered separation to a spot channel. I've tried this simple procedure (from a quick Google search):
Choose layer
Select All
Create new channel
Paste
but I lose the correct art placement (it ends up pasting into the middle of the file rather than its original position). Also, I have multiple layers that need to go into the same channel--how do I handle that?
I can always go back to the designer and request that they do this, but I'd like to be able to do it on our end. Anyone else do this kind of thing on a regular basis?

Do those Layers have modulation, i.e. is their content of various levels of brightness, or are they basically flat?
In second case:
• New Spot Channel
• Load Layer’s transparency by command-clicking its icon in the Layers Panel
• Fill in the Spot Channel
Otherwise I would recommend
• New Spot Channel
• Hide Other Layers (by alt-clicking the Layer’s Visibility icon in the Layers Panel)
• Load the most apt channel by command-clicking its icon in the Channels Panel
• Fill in the Spot Channel
(• Edit as needed with Curves for example)

Spot Channels Workflow

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